STUDENT TEACHING COMMUNICATOR

School of Education
Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis
902 West New York Street
Indianapolis, IN 46202-4155
Phone: 317-274-6841 Fax: 274-6864
http://education.iupui.edu

Intern: Bethany Bursak Date: Nov.13, 2018 Time: 12:30

Major/Grade: 3 School: Center for Inquiry #27 Visit No. 2
Mentor Teacher: Leslie Kesler University Coach: Ruby Clayton

Comments: Finding the “A-ha moment”/ Notice and Note

Children returned from lunch and recess, put away wraps and sat on the carpet. You told them
they would be adding a new notice and note today. You asked about notice and notes they had
learned in the past. One girl said, “Why might this be important?” You asked which one that was.
Another said memory moment. You asked what they would ask themselves in an again and again
moment. The question for this was “Why might this show up over and over?”

Today they would add a new notice and note to the chart—an a-ha moment. You explained what
that meant on the anchor chart. You asked for an a-ha moment in a couple of the books children
had heard before. Children were able to give those moments.

You showed children how to think about writing the a-ha moment with “ In the story __________ an
a-ha moment was_____________because the character_____________. You told them they would listen to
Jamaica’s Find and listen for the a-ha moment. When they heard it they were to write it down on
their whiteboards. They could use the format on the board when they were finished, but for now
could just jot down notes so they could remember.

During the read aloud you asked what the point of view was. A girl said it was in the third person.
You reviewed first, second and third person for the children.

After the read-aloud, children were asked to write their a-ha moment. You let children know they
could refer to the board or the book while writing their noticing. After writing, children were given
time to turn and talk to a neighbor about what they thought was an a-ha moment.

Sydney was going to share after children put whiteboards and markers behind them. Sydney said
the a-ha moment was when the girl came to the park and said she had lost her dog. You asked how
that changed things in the story. One child said Jamaica had felt proud of finding the dog but then
felt sad the girl had lost it. You talked about how that moment changed the story.

The next child said the a-ha moment was when Jamaica found the dog’s owner and decided to give
the dog back to the owner.

Audrey found a Word to the Wiser notice and note. She said the life lesson was that one should try
to get something back to its owner if they found something. You let children know other notice and
notes could be found in the same book.

Today they would find an a-ha moment during independent reading and write it on a sticky note
with the title of the book, the moment, and their name. If they couldn’t find an a-ha moment they
could write about another notice and note. They could write more than one.

Instructions were given for putting away whiteboards and markers and getting their independent
reading tubs. Children went off to reading spots and you walked around helping as needed.

Smart Things You are Doing

• Calming but clear and easy to understand voice
• Anchor Charts displayed in the room and on the white board.
• Well done read-aloud
• All children were engaged in the work
• You allowed enough time for the students to think as they wrote
• Extra whiteboards and paper given to children who had more to write
• Turn and talk allowed children to process their thinking
• Clear instructions throughout
• Elmo used so all could easily see what child wrote.
• Children were not sitting too long. Some movement built into the lesson
• Challenging work worth doing
• Good idea to search Pintrest for anchor charts! It paid off. You are a learner!
• Well done lesson!

Questions, Suggestions and/or Concerns

• What did you notice about the children’s understanding of a-ha moments? What are your next
teaching points?
• A physical therapists I talked to said it is not good for children to sit with legs/feet in an M or W.
You may want to talk with a couple of the boys privately about how it is bad for their bone growth.